Trials
by Ziwen
Summary: A group of fallen angels learn that they can go through "trials" to become real angels again... But what about the girl that Damien loves? Much better inside, TRUST ME! ; Please... Rated only for possible language. I'm not THAT kind of person!
1. Chapter 1

_Prologue_

_A golden, sparkling palace sits in the sky, full of laughter and light, contentment and joy. Winged beings flit about as soft, celestial music plays._

_And then a discord mars the tune. The music quickly resumes, but all of Heaven pauses. This can only mean one thing—an angel is about to fall._

_A procession of three slowly makes its way to the jeweled gates of gold. The doors are thrown open, and for a brief moment, the three figures are outlined. Two are obviously angels—tall, winged, pure, and garbed in unblemished white. Radiant halos adorn their heads, and in their hands are shining spears. Timeless faces look with pity and sadness at the one they hold between them—the one that is fallen._

_The shape radiates darkness. His hair is light, but his eyes are filled with shadows. Two long, bloody gashes take the place of his wings on his chiseled back. Although broken, he stands tall._

_A guardian speaks. "Do you repent?" the being intones in a lilting, sweet, yet stern voice._

_The fallen one remains silent._

_And thus, he was cast down to Earth._

_Damien fell._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

My name is Damien Erebos, and I am a fallen angel.  
Falling.  
Falling.  
Falling.  
That is my world, and has been for an impossibly long time. The frigid air whips past me, carving into the slashes on my back. A seemingly endless, silent scream rips from my throat. _Wings,_ my mind dimly supplies. _You used to have wings_.  
_ Key words: used to,_ the nasty little voice in the back of my head snaps. _Ya sure don't have 'em now, do you, you idiot?_  
Then comes the excruciating, agonizing impact as I smash into the ground. Bones crack and snap, yet mend moments later.  
Too bad my heart hasn't healed as well.  
I don't know how long I lie there. It might be hour; it might be a year.  
So understandably, I think that my mind had finally crashed and burned when I begin to hear voices in my head.  
_ Woah,_ exclaims a deep voice. _What do we have here?_  
_ Nothin',_ I reply rather madly. _Just another loopy fallen angel._  
A new voice enters the fray. _Hey babe,_ it whispers seductively.  
_ Dude, that's gross. The newbie's a guy, Xavier,_ counters yet another person.  
_ Whatever, Alex,_ he grumbles. _We need a chick in our group._  
_ Hey, _I interrupt. _Maybe do you guys wanna explain why I'm hearing voices in my head?_  
_ 'Cause you're crazy,_ comes the sarcastic reply.  
_ Guys, cut the crap,_ orders the deep voice I heard first. _OK, so we're all fallen angels, and the heavenly hand somehow thought that it would be nice to dump you here with the rest of us kooks. My name's Matt and I fell first, so I'm 21 years old and kinda the "leader". The gay dude who thought you were a chick is Xavier, and the smarty-pants who broke the news to him is Alex. He's the next oldest, after me, at 19._  
_ I'm not gay,_ complains Xavier. _And I'm 16. How was I supposed to know he was a dude?_  
_ Maybe you could've shut your big mouth and listened,_ replies another, irritably. _By the way, newbie, I'm Jasper. 15 years old. Welcome to the most messed-up gang you'll ever be in._  
_ OK, _I think. _I'm Damien, and I'm pretty sure that I'm 17. But how does this explain why I can freaking hear voices in my head?_  
_ Duh, we're fallen angels,_ replies Alex. _In our experience, fallen angels can talk to each other in their heads when we're not more than, I dunno, like, 40 miles away from each other? Oh, and we have super healing skills._  
_ I'm bored,_ says Jasper. _Can I go burn something now?_  
_ Jasper, it's only been, like, a few hours. Chill, _reprimands Matt.  
_ Whatever._  
_ You guys were giving me the intro?_ I prompt. I mean, I just fell from Heaven and these psychos are just fooling around?  
_ Oh yeah._ Alex picks up the conversation. _I'll take it from here. So we can hear each other in our minds, blah, blah, blah, 40 mile radius, blah, blah, blah. We formed our own demented little posse, and the big, bad fallen angel gang is coming to get you right now._  
_ Thanks a lot, _I snap. _How long until you guys get here? And where the heck am I, anyways?_  
_ Temper, temper,_ chides Xavier.  
_ Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're just mad that I'm not going out with you,_ I reply smugly.  
_ Just drop it,_ he fumes. _Fine, we should be there in about 15 minutes, and you're near._  
_ Now that's more like it,_ I say.  
I pick myself off of the ground and groan at the sound of my joints popping. _Ouch, ouch, ouch._  
_ Awww, the poor baby feeling tired, is he, _mocks Alex.  
_ Get outta my head, freakshow,_ I retort.  
I achingly stretch and brush the dirt off myself. Woah. I have muscles. Not huge, but still noticeable. Being a fallen angel does have its perks, I ruminate darkly.  
_ Pretty boy liking what he sees?_ This time, it's Jasper, apparently unhappy that he can't go and burn something.  
I can relate.  
Thankfully, I have a pair of shorts on. Dirty, ragged basketball shorts, but shorts nonetheless. I run a hand through my dirty blond hair and wait. Ignoring Jasper, I take the moment to assess my surroundings. I'm in a grassy clearing with broken branches scattered about. Good thing I wasn't impaled on one. The collision had hurt enough already, without having a sharp tree branch sticking through me. I wince at the memory. A dense forest surrounds me.  
_You'll wish that you were impaled on one before long, newbie,_ bites Xavier.  
Oh yeah, the others are tuned in to every single thought that flashes through my mind. I hadn't thought about whether or not it was a good thing, but upon Xavier's comment, I immediately decide upon the latter. NOT a good thing. I'm gonna need to find a way to get around this.  
_ Just shut up, Xavier. And no, I'm still not going out with you,_ I say. _Sorry, not into guys like that. _  
_Chocolate Cheerios!_ exclaims Alex, randomly. _I had some for breakfast. _  
_Dude, what gives?_ whines Matt. _And you didn't let me have any? _  
_ There was only enough for one person,_says Alex. _And no, I'm not sorry. _  
I hear the thud on oncoming footsteps, and the first fallen angel strides into the clearing. He's tall and pale, with curly black hair and roguish hazel eyes.  
"Hey!" he exclaims cheerily. "I'm Alexander. Call me Ander and no one will ever find your body."  
I smirk. "Like you could catch me."  
The rest of the group follows and makes introductions. I nod at each and do my best to remember who is who.  
Matt told me he was the "leader", but he exudes a reckless aura. I check myself before any more thoughts slip out. Sporting a beach-rat tan, shaggy blond hair, and stormy blue eyes, it's easy to see who's the player in the group. Well, judging from Xavier's behavior, Matt's not the only ladies' man.  
Xavier, on the other hand, is the stereotypical "tall, dark, and handsome" type. He greets me with a slightly embarrassed wave, probably due to the way we met. _Priceless, _I think.  
Jasper's obviously the moody one, or at least he is now. He brushes a hand over his closely cropped black hair and returns my nod coolly, along with a green-eyed stare.  
"Alright," rumbles Matt. "Touchy-feely moment is over. Let's get back to the place and crash."  
"Okayyy," I respond cautiously. "So do we walk or what?"  
Yawning exaggeratedly, Alex tells me, "Yep. Our cabin isn't too far from here. The archangels were nice to you. They threw me into the Pacific."  
"You probably deserved it, _Ander_," says Jasper.  
"Don't call me that."  
"I didn't call you 'that; I called you Ander, Ander."  
"_I said-_"  
Alex and Jasper enter into an heated argument as the rest of us make our way towards the cabin. I don't talk much and mostly observe, trying to see how the group operates.  
We finally arrive at a spacious, but seemingly abandoned structure. The sunny yellow garage is at odds with the gloomy atmosphere of the remainder of the, uh, shelter?  
Jasper claps a hand to my shoulder and says, "Hey, I know it doesn't look like much, but trust me, it's seriously tricked out inside. Part of keeping up appearances, ya know."  
I shrug. "I'll take your word for it."  
Upon entering the cabin, I find that Jasper indeed told the truth. It's as if I had walked into a totally different world.  
Alright, maybe it's not the best place in the world, but it is definitely way better than what I was expecting.  
The cabin has a spartan look and feel to it, displaying only the bare necessities. The living room, which we have just entered, sports hardwood floors, decent lighting, and a cushy couch. I immediately zone in on the couch.

"So, Damien my boy, what do you make of our humble abode?" queries Matt sarcastically.

I ignore him and make my way to the couch. Plopping down on it, I squeeze my eyes shut and pass out cold.

That night, I dream of a girl, a girl with sparkling green eyes and hair the color of bittersweet chocolate.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

I wake to a bucket of ice-cold, numbing water dumped on my head.  
"Dude! What the heck, Xavier?" I rant. "Really, all I want is a good night's sleep. Is that too much to ask?"  
Xavier shrugs, seemingly surprised. "Damien, chill. We all got that dumped on us on our first night here. It's a nice reality check. Tough it out, man."  
That's when I notice the others standing around me. Suddenly, I feel embarrassed, soaking wet and wearing only a pair of shorts. Squashing my feelings, I shoot a nasty glare around the room.  
Alex steps forward. "Hey, take it easy. It was just a joke. If it's worth anything, I gave Matt a shiner when he did that to me. Not that I'm volunteering or anything." He sends a sly glance towards Xavier. "I think that honor goes to Xavier."  
Xavier grins and stands his ground. "Come at me, bro!" he challenges. "Winner gets first in the shower."  
I lunge for him and he ducks effortlessly. Then it seems as if the world has slowed down. I'm tuned in to Xavier's every movement, every thought. _Must be a fallen angel thing._  
We grapple for a few minutes, and I trap him in a headlock. "Say 'uncle'," I taunt.  
Xavier gets a nasty grin on his face, the kind that says, _I know something you don't... and I'm _so_ gonna exploit that. _  
A wave of euphoria hits me. Part of my consciousness wonders why I'm acting like I've been drugged, but most of me is giggling like some 8-year-old with ice cream. My brain registers that I've dropped Xavier, but it doesn't bother me unduly. I seem to be viewing things from afar.  
Jasper's shouting at Xavier now, saying something about powers. _Why?_ I wonder giddily. _Everything is perfectly fine._

And then it's like that bucket of ice-cold water gets dumped on me again. Alex slaps me once for good measure. "C'mon, Damien, snap out of it!"

I give my head a few shakes to clear any remaining fluff out of it. "What the-"

"What the bleep is about right," growls Jasper.

The last clouds dissipate from my head. The full shock of what just occurred slams into me. I whirl around, and my gaze settles on Xavier. "OK, so I had you in a stranglehold, and then it's like I get a dose of morphine, or what? I need explanations, 'cause it seems that the rest of you guys know what's going on," I growl. A bead of sweat falls from my brow, and my hands start to shake. I clench them into fists. I gasp involuntarily. My hands feel like they've been set on fire.

I refuse to look down, and keep my gaze trained on Xavier. A fresh wave of anger washes over me. This is way past annoyance now.

Xavier's eyes are wide, resembling saucers. Nah, scratch that. More like car wheels. But he's not looking at me. He's staring at my hands.

"Uh, Damien, I don't know how to, um, tell you this, but-" he stammers.

"Spit it out, jerkwad." I am really in no mood to put up with any crap.

"Your hands are on fire!" he blurts.

I glance down, and the aforementioned appendages are indeed ablaze. But these are no normal flames. They are jet black, framed with silver, like black-and-white versions of everyday fire.  
Then the panic sets in. Sweat is pouring off me now, and I'm vaguely aware of Matt shoving me out of the cabin.  
Just in time, too, because I automatically raise my hands, as if to push someone away.  
Midnight flames pour from my palms.  
"Ahhhhhh!" I yell. "Woah, woah, WOAH! Not good, not good, not good."  
Xavier's shouting at me now, while I'm contemplating on whether or not I should roast him alive. After all, I do have the funny feeling that he started this whole fiasco.  
_Dude! Calm down,_ commands a voice. Jasper?  
"My hands are on fire and you freaking expect me to relax? Get real," I spit.  
Jasper signs off with an exasperated sigh. I'm frantically looking about in a quest for water, when I realize that my hands don't hurt. In fact, they feel like a cool breeze is washing over them. As soon as my befuddled mind accepts this, the flames go out. Poof. Gone, like they never existed.  
But the trees beg to differ. A wide swath of them display scorch marks, while the grass around me is just about nonexistent. Burnt away, just like that.  
Now I'm scared. The others cautiously make their way towards me. Alex and Jasper have their hands up in a calming gesture, while Xavier holds a bucket of water. Matt, apparently, has booked it outta here. _Coward_, I think fleetingly before returning to the matter at hand.  
"Guys," I say. My voice is actually trembling. "Explanations. _Now,_ unless you wanna have barbecue for lunch."  
Xavier hesitantly steps up. "Uh, yeah. Since I kinda started this whole thing, I guess I should explain it, too. Um, do you wanna get back to the cabin, or, do you wanna..."  
He trails off as I send a meaningful glare in his direction. "OK, here it is. All of us, fallen angels, I mean, have a power. We all discovered them when we got mad. Like, really mad."  
Xavier pauses, glancing at me as if to reaffirm that I'm not going to beat him up here and now.

"Continue."

"My power is influencing people's emotions. I can tell what someone is feeling, and I can make them feel a certain emotion. I got sorta carried away in the scuffle this morning and sent a blast of 'happy' towards you... and you know the rest," he finishes, somewhat abashedly.  
I raise an eyebrow skeptically. "Okay. So my power is fire? How about the rest of us?"  
Alex picks up the explanation. "Yeah, it seems like your skill is fire. Dark fire, nonetheless," he says dramatically. At my expression, he hurriedly carries on. "I know people's worst fears. It's not always the easiest power, having all those depressing thoughts floating around. But you don't have to worry about us using our powers against each other. I mean, we all have times when we get a bit carried away, but it's sort of the unspoken code. Xavier, well, he-"  
"Xavier's an immature idiot," cuts in Jasper. "Damien, I know that you're probably PO beyond all probable conceivement, but we need to let this go. Like Alex said, we all have those moments when we don't think."  
Part of me-alright, most of me-wants to punch the ever-loving crap out of Xavier, but the little voice in my head tells me to drop it. It's not good to have bad feelings between people in a group like ours. "Alright, I get it. Everything's even now, considering the fact that I probably scared the living daylights-or in our case, _night_lights outta Xavier," I admit grudgingly.  
They all collectively release a long-held breath. Jasper grins and says, "Onward. I'm the 'magician' of the posse. I can create illusions."  
In spite of myself, I find my features breaking into a reluctant smile. "Recap. We all have some kooky power-"  
"Weeeeell," says Alex. "All of us...except for Matt."  
"Oh," I say, surprised. "So that's why he basically disappeared and left a crazy, unhinged, pyrotechnic me in your hands."  
Alex shrugs. "I guess it was kind of hard watching another guy find his power, especially 'cause you're new. But you're right; Matt can be a serious jerk sometimes."  
"Tell me about it," mutters Jasper.  
Things are a bit more clear than they were 10 minutes ago, but there's still some stuff I need to know. "So," I begin. "Do I have to worry about roasting someone whenever I get mad, or can I control it?"  
"At the beginning, you don't have much control over your power," says Jasper. "It'll manifest itself when you're either super angry or scared, but you'll gain control later on. The rest of us leash our skills pretty well, but, well, the mask slips when we get really mad. In this case with Xavier, though, he was just being a jerk, wanting to get a rise outta the newbie. Maybe even wanting to test you, to see if you had a power. But you should probably keep your distance from the public until you get to know your, uh, skill better. So, yeah, there is the slight possibility that you could accidentally BBQ someone if you get mad."  
My shoulders slump slightly. Jasper is basically telling me that I can never have a normal life. "Okay. Fine. Whatever. Is there any other kooky fallen angel stuff I should know about? Anything else slip your mind?"  
The three shift uncomfortably. "Um, maybe..." Alex trails off. He claps his hands together abruptly and says brightly, "But breakfast first! Sound good to anyone?"  
My ears perk up. Breakfast _does_ sound good. The last time I had a proper meal was-I don't know. Do angels even need to eat?  
I let out an exaggerated sigh-they're not completely off the hook, after all- and make a show of reluctantly conceding their point. "Alright. Breakfast, then it's Q&A time."  
We all file towards the house, questions whirring through my mind the entire time. Plus, where is Matt? Sure, he _says _he's the leader, but he seems like a pretty crappy one to me.  
The query is answered as we enter the house. Matt's sprawled across the sofa. He glances up, his expression unreadable.  
I hold his gaze levelly. He raises an eyebrow, and a staring match ensues.  
A moment passes.  
Then another.  
And another.  
A bead of sweat trickles down my temple. Fury builds inside me, and I become aware of the strain of holding back the flames.  
A brief flash of emotion crosses Matt's eyes, and he turns away and promptly disappears into one of the doors leading off of the living room.  
Alex lets out a derisive snort. "Well he took that well, dontcha think?"  
I shrug noncommittally. "Who cares?" I say impassively. "I'm starving."  
They are silent.


End file.
